Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
This post may contain affiliate links. Please check our privacy and disclosure policy.
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta is an easy one-pot dinner, made with basic ingredients like gluten free pasta cooked in chicken broth and cream, with chicken and shredded parmesan, ready in 30 minutes!
For the Alfredo version of this dish, check out my One Pot Chicken Alfredo, and this One Pot Chicken Parmesan! For a complete meal, try serving with this Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli made on a baking sheet!
This is the perfect one-pot meal made with gluten free rotini pasta in a savory creamy sauce with tender pieces of chicken thighs. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner because it’s really filling with minimal dishes and minimal cooking time, and you only need a handful of pantry staples to make it.
Top with extra grated parmesan cheese and fresh parsley or basil. This will be your new family favorite dinner recipe on busy weeknights!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Garlic. We need five whole cloves garlic for this recipe. You can add more or less depending on your taste preference. You can always add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder if you want even more garlic flavor, too.
Add the fresh garlic when the chicken is almost done cooking. We want the garlic to have time to cook in the oil and release the flavor, but we don’t want to give it long enough to burn.
Chicken. I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs, because the dark meat is really tender and flavorful, and gets even more tender the longer you cook it. You can also use chicken breast.
For a really quick version, cut up a store-bought rotisserie chicken and add it just after the garlic and before the pasta.
Olive Oil. Extra virgin olive oil helps keep the butter from burning when the chicken and garlic are cooking, because the butter has a lower smoke point. This way we get the flavor from the butter but the oil to prevent everything from sticking to the pan, too.
Butter. Butter adds both flavor and fat to the recipe, giving the sauce a really creamy texture. I like to use unsalted butter, because the salt level in butter is not always consistent. This way, you can add the salt as-needed later in the dish.
Chicken Broth. Chicken broth and vegetable broth both work for this recipe. Just make sure the brand you use is gluten free.
Pasta. I like to use gluten free rotini pasta, but this recipe would also work well with gluten free penne pasta. The secret is to only cook it to al dente before finishing the dish!
If you’re not gluten free, you can use regular pasta for this recipe.
Half and Half. Half and half helps add a creamy texture to the garlic parmesan sauce. You can also use regular milk, heavy whipping cream, or heavy cream. The more fat, the more of an indulgent texture the pasta will have. Heavy cream will have the most fat here.
I like to use half and half in a lot of my recipes because it’s in the middle on the fat range, and I already have it around for our morning coffee.
Spices. We’re using paprika for color, and oregano for flavor. You can also use Italian seasoning, or just use kosher salt and black pepper.
And the most important flavor of all, fresh garlic. Switch to garlic powder if you need to. One garlic clove is equal to 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
Herbs. I like to cut up some fresh parsley for garnish. Add this right before serving. You can also use fresh basil.
Parmesan. Parmesan is one of the key flavors for this dish! You can also use Romano cheese, which is often blended with parmesan anyway.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
- In a dutch oven, heat up olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the raw chicken pieces and let the chicken cook until almost done, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season chicken with salt, pepper, oregano, and paprika. Push the chicken to one side and add the chopped raw garlic. Let the garlic cook for another 2-3 minutes before stirring everything together.
- Add the broth, half and half, and uncooked pasta to the pot. Stir everything together and try to keep the pasta even, so each piece is in the cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir the pasta, then place the lid on the pot and cook pasta for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir in parmesan cheese. You want to do this step when the pasta is still al dente, because it will keep cooking with the heat from the dish. You can add more or less cook time as-needed.
- Top with additional parmesan and fresh parsley before serving.
Here’s A Tip! If you want a crispy topping, check out the topping I used in my Baked Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese using gluten free bread crumbs. Add this topping to the garlic parmesan pasta, and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until crispy on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s a few ways you can make garlic parmesan sauce. The first is the way this recipe does it, by sautéing fresh garlic cloves in olive oil, then cooking the pasta in the broth and cream, then stirring in the cheese to thicken everything. This is a quick and easy version, if you want to serve the sauce on pasta anyway.
The other way would be to make a roux, whisking flour and butter together until it begins to turn brown and smell nutty, then adding garlic powder and other spices, and pouring in the liquid. Stir for a few minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken, then add the parmesan cheese. Add the cooked pasta to the garlic sauce.
While creamy garlic parmesan sauce is kind of similar to Alfredo sauce, it still has some big differences. Traditional Alfredo is only butter, pasta, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
This garlic parmesan sauce is butter and parmesan, but we’re also adding cream, garlic, spices, and chicken. It’s closer to the pre-made Alfredo sauce you can buy at the supermarket, but still homemade. Traditional Alfredo sauce does not use cream, just butter.
Storage
Refrigerate Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta for 2-3 days. Reheat in a saucepan with a splash of cream or chicken broth.
Freeze this pasta dish for 2-3 months. You may need to add a tablespoon of half and half or a bit of water as it’s re-heating, to help the texture return to creamy.
More Gluten Free Pasta Recipes
Recipe Variations
- For extra flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or a dash of hot sauce or chili powder to make this parmesan garlic sauce spicy.
- When cooking the chicken, add a few handfuls of kale or spinach for some added veggies. Let them cook down while the chicken is cooking.
- You can also throw in a few handfuls of green peas, cut up zucchini, eggplant pieces, or diced bell peppers.
- If you don’t like chicken, try making this dish with steak pieces, ground turkey, or ground beef instead. You can also use boneless skinless chicken breast.
- Add a block of cream cheese to make this really creamy. Stir it in once the chicken pieces are mostly cooked, moving everything around until it melts and becomes creamy. Then stir the melted cream cheese completely into the broth and cream mixture.
- Try making this dish with the pasta only, and serving with these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders!
Cooking Tips
- When cooking the pasta, after stirring gently, press any rogue pieces down so they are in the cooking liquid.
- The pasta should be al dente, so check it before putting the lid on the pot. If it’s closer, then you might want to give it a stir in 2-3 minutes to make sure it doesn’t over-cook. The pasta will finish cooking from the heat of the finished dish.
- Cut the chicken pieces on the smaller side, and try to keep them all just about the same size. This way, they’ll all finish cooking at the same time. Chicken thighs do better finishing at a higher heat, so don’t worry about boiling them afterwards.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth, gluten free
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 12 ounces gluten free rotini pasta, or gluten free penne
- 2 cups parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or large pot
Instructions
- In a dutch oven, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until almost done, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season chicken with salt, pepper, oregano, and paprika.
- Push the chicken to one side and add the chopped raw garlic. Let the garlic cook for another 2-3 minutes before stirring everything together.
- Add the broth, half and half, and pasta, stirring everything together. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until pasta is al dente.
- When time is up, remove the lid and stir in parmesan cheese. Top with additional parmesan and fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- When cooking the pasta, after stirring gently press any rogue pieces down so they are in the cooking liquid.
- The pasta should be al dente, so check it before putting the lid on the pot. If it’s closer, then you might want to give it a stir in 2-3 minutes to make sure it doesn’t over-cook. The pasta will finish cooking from the heat of the finished dish.
- Cut the chicken pieces on the smaller side, and try to keep them all just about the same size. This way, they’ll all finish cooking at the same time. Chicken thighs do better finishing at a higher heat, so don’t worry about boiling them afterwards.
Nutrition
We are a participant in both the RewardStyle and Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and through RewardStyle.
